Talented Geraghty, efficient Kramer beat their best

St. Edward's School's Coleman Kramer and Lincoln Park Academy's Jonathan Geraghty are TCPalm's All-Area Swimming/Diving Player of the Year finalists.
CARYN SHAFFER/TCPALM

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Lincoln Park Academy's Jonathan Geraghty and St. Edward's School's Coleman Kramer are the All Area Boys Swimming/Diving Athlete of the Year finalists.(Photo: PHOTOS BY JEREMIAH WILSON AND LEAH VOSS)Buy Photo

Jonathan Geraghty twice had come close to winning a state title in 1-meter diving. Coleman Kramer entered the Class 1A state meet as the top seed in the 200-yard freestyle and second in the 500 freestyle.

The finalists for TCPalm’s All-Area Boys Swimmer/Diver of the Year accounted for gold, silver and bronze medals at state.

Geraghty became Lincoln Park’s first individual state champion with another dominating performance on the board while Kramer won a silver in the 200 free and bronze in the 500 free.

Geraghty had been on track for a state title since taking his first dive for the Greyhounds. He went undefeated this season and won the state title by 53 points.

“I was going into the state meet expecting that if I did all my dives the way I should that I would win,” Geraghty said. “I was really confident.”

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Geragthy, 15, first hit the board eight years ago, intrigued with the sport after watching divers practice at Indian River State College.

He trains four to five days each week with Coral Springs Diving in Broward County and already has taken part in two international meets, most recently the CAMO Invitational at Montreal, Canada in early December.

“You’re on an international level diving with the best divers in the world and then coming back just for the state meet, it gives you a lot of confidence knowing you can be the best,” Geraghty said.

Not that Lincoln Park coach Linda Boltersdorf ever had any doubts.

“He is just so naturally talented and so driven,” Lincoln Park coach Linda Boltersdorf said. “He will do whatever he has to do to win. (Yet) he’s so humble. He’s not the kind of the kid who gets on the board and is cocky."

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Before this season, Kramer’s top finish at state was ninth in the Class 1A breaststroke in 2016.

Deciding to concentrate on freestyle events this season, the University of South Carolina signee became one of the state’s top swimmers and put together one of the greatest seasons in St. Edward’s 32-year swimming history.

Through the regional round, Kramer had the state’s second-fastest time in the 200-yard freestyle. He won district and regional titles in both events, was a district champion in the 500 free and finished runner-up at regionals.

Because he was training for the Speedo Winter Junior Nationals, which took place Dec. 6-9 in Tennessee, Kramer had only a three-day taper and a clipping rather than a full taper and shave.

He nearly became the Pirates’ first individual state champion. He swam the 200 free in a personal-best 1 minute, 39.36 seconds to finish runner-up to Lake Highland Prep’s Hayden Curley, then won a bronze in the 500 free in 4:30.60.

Both time were under the All-America consideration standard.

“I exceeded my expectations and improved my times a whole lot,” Kramer said. “My goal going in was just to crack the top eight. Once regionals happened, I thought I had a real shot at being top five, maybe even top three. So that's what I set my mind to."

It’s pretty cool stuff considering Kramer began swimming as a 6-year-old in an American Swimming Coaches Association Learn to Swim School at St. Edward’s, a time when he “could doggy paddle, but nothing else.”

Now he’s among the elite.

"He's even going to get better, " St. Edward’s coach Steve Fenning said. "He kind of had a late start as far as the volume and intensity of the work he's doing. He's got size and strength and very efficient mechanics."

While Geraghty hopes to defend his state title the next two seasons before settling on a college, Kramer is preparing for his next challenge.

“I just have to get bigger, stronger, faster,” Kramer said. “I have to start working harder to get ready to compete against the next level.”

Coach of the year

The final season of Linda Boltersdorf’s career as a high school swimming coach turned out to be the best.

Linda Boltersdorf(Photo: PHOTO PROVIDED)

The matriarch of Lincoln Park Academy’s program, which she started in 1993, guided the Greyhounds to District 5-2A and Region 2-2A championships, and a school-best fourth-place finish in Class 2A.

What a way to go out.

“I think it was magical,” said Boltersdorf, TCPalm’s All-Area Boys Swimming Coach of the Year. “A lot of the seniors that I had I’ve groomed since they were in sixth grade. I have a really good bond with these kids and watched them grow up.”

Gared Cosgrave finished seventh in the 200-yard freestyle, eighth in the 100 backstroke and anchored the 200 freestyle relay team to a third-place finish.

All three boys relays set school records. Daniel Ochse erased a 19-year-old mark in the 100-yard butterfly.

Jonathan Geraghty capped the run with a gold medal in 1-meter diving to become the program's first individual state champion.

“I don’t go into any season trying to place,” Boltersdorf said. “I just try to get the kids as far as they can. So to finish fourth was pretty good.”

Historic, too.

Only two area boys teams have finished higher at state. Martin County was runner-up to St. Thomas Aquinas in Class 4A (now 3A) in 1993 and third in 1994 under legendary coach Dick Wells.

Lincoln Park defended its regional title and finished in the top 10 for a school-record fifth consecutive year.

“They were just a special group of kids,” Boltersdorf said.

Boltersdorf, 49, has been the face of the program since its debut. Except for two brief breaks, she has coached the Greyhounds for 20 of their 25 seasons.

Always one of the area's top teams, the Greyhounds finished ninth in Class 2A in 2013 and 2014, then eighth in 2015 and 2016 before this year's fourth-place finish.

It will be up to someone else to build on the rock-solid foundation she leaves behind.

“I am really retiring,” Boltersdorf said. “It’s time. My kids are grown. I still coach at Indian River (Aquatics). It’s time for a change.”

Not that she won’t miss the sweet wins and special relationships from the past quarter century.

“It’s the single most thing I’ve ever done that I’m most proud of because I started it from scratch,” said Boltersdorf, who will continue to coach at Indian River Aquatics.“ But I’m OK with leaving because I know the kids will be OK. They’re groomed and they will get another good coach.

“They’re going to be fine.”

SWIMMER/DIVER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Jonathan Geraghty, Lincoln Park Academy senior

Notable: Class 2A state champion in 1-meter diving, undefeated during regular season and postseason. Scored at least 500 points in all three postseason meets.

Coleman Kramer, St. Edward’s senior

Notable: Class 1A state runner-up in 200 freestyle in 1:39.36; Third in Class 1A in 500 freestyle in 4:30.60. District champion in both events. Regional champion in 200 free.